FIC: The Pack (Stargate: Atlantis AU) 7/10

[ashinae]

The Pack: A Stargate: Atlantis AU - Chapter 7
by ashinae and jay_linden
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10



They weren't going anywhere. The silence was frosty. John stalked back to the door and tried to force it open with his bare hands.

"The doors are meant to keep a Wraith out. Do you really, honestly think that's going to work?"

It didn't hurt to try. John snarled with the effort of trying to get the door open. And then he stopped. And kicked the door, just for good measure.

"Good God you're stubborn," Rodney said. "Just stop it. That's not helping."

John stalked the room. Rodney's voice was grating today. And then he turned and stared at Rodney.

"Don't even think about it," Rodney snapped.

"Don't tell me what to do," John said.

"Don't tell me what to do when I tell you what to do!" Rodney shot back, glaring at John. "I'm not one of your wolves, and it's not my fault we're trapped in here."

John moved toward him. "Yeah? You sure you haven't been playing with some system and oops! Now we're all locked in and communications are down?"

Rodney gave him a Look. "If I was going to lock us in a room, I would have made sure that I had a computer, so that once it inevitably got to the point where you frustrated me so much that I wanted to drown you, I could at least manage to escape on my own. I certainly wouldn't have locked us in a room that was an allergist's wet dream!"

John turned away from him again. There was a little cactus-like plant nearby that he was deeply tempted to knock over. "Katie Brown was here," he snarled. "She must have left just moments before I got here. I can still smell her."

"Well, she is a botanist," Rodney said, in his very best 'duh' voice. "She works with plants."

"You came here to see her!"

"Are you aware that you're a total lunatic?" Rodney demanded. "I mean, do you wake up in the morning, push away the loose copies of Guns and Ammo, and go 'wow, I really am a complete and total insane person'?"

John's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He stalked past Rodney again and threw himself bodily at the door, trying very, very hard to break it down.

"Oh would you just stop and say whatever it is that's pissing you off so much?" Rodney demanded. "I've been considerably more annoying before than I'm being right now. Fine. I'll stop being pissed off that you left hair in the sink again. Okay? I'm over it. Now stop denting the architecture!"

John whirled around. Though the words were snarled out at Rodney through clenched teeth, his impersonation of Rodney's tone and inflection was bang on: "Your ego is unbelievable, you know that? Even when you're kidnapped, they look and act like you."

Rodney stared at John. "You're mad about that?" he said incredulously.

***

If Ronon knew that he'd been doing exactly what his alpha had been trying up in one of the botany labs, and that John was having absolutely zero success in prying the door open with his bare hands--

Well, he'd probably keep on trying it anyway. He let out a howl of frustration and stepped back.

Jennifer Keller'd learned a lot more about werewolves since she'd come to Atlantis. Like how being afraid when you were around them was a really bad idea, and didn't really help the situation much.

She also thought that whoever came up with the advice 'don't be afraid when you're trapped in a room with a really angry werewolf' was a complete idiot.

Ronon whirled around and stalked through the immediate vicinity in the infirmary. And then back to the door. And then stalked a little bit more. And then back to the door, which received a violent kick when it still stubbornly refused to open.

"Maybe... maybe we should try something else," Jennifer suggested hesitantly. "I just... I really don't want you to get hurt, and I don't think that door's going anywhere without some kind of explosive device."

He turned and looked at her. Blinked a few times. Then his eyes lit up. "What've you got explosive?" he asked.

Her eyes went very wide, and she unintentionally looked right at the oxygen tanks. "Um?"

He grinned broadly. "Gotcha."

***

John paced back and forth in front of the doorway. "She's nothing like me. Nothing at all!"

"You do realise that I made that comment days ago, right? Longer?"

"Nothing!"

Rodney sighed loudly. "John, she showed up here, and I swear to God, I know that wasn't what happened, but she was acting like the two of you spent the entire time you were kidnapped having a lot of sex. Forgive me for being a little bit bitchy."

John growled. "We didn't. You should know, Rodney--you should know by now--I would never!"

"Are you even listening to me?" Rodney sounded exasperated. "I just said--I just said--I know that wasn't what happened, but that was how she was acting! And you're mine, damn it!" He blinked. Not something he exactly meant to say, at least not like that.

"Of course I am!" John yelled.

"I know that!" Rodney yelled just as loudly as John did. "And the next time someone thinks that they have the right to be all... like she was being, I'm gonna feed them to Ronon, okay?"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Good!"

***

Ronon tilted his head back against the infirmary bed he and Jennifer leaned against. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded, turning to look at him. "Of course."

"Are you afraid of Sheppard?"

Jennifer opened her mouth to protest, then closed it again, hesitating for a long few moments before nodding, just once.

"Why?" Ronon's voice was suddenly very gentle.

"It's stupid," she said. "It's been ever since those nightmares. And I can't shake it. And I feel awful, because obviously it shows, if you noticed, but I can't make it go away."

"He'd never hurt you." Ronon paused. "Unless you hurt McKay."

"I think he'd tear Atlantis down to its foundations if someone hurt Rodney," Jennifer said wryly.

"Might tear down the galaxy," Ronon said. "But you really don't have anything to fear from him."

"I know," she said, sighing at herself. "It's stupid. I mean... it's not because he's a werewolf. I'm not afraid of you."

Ronon flashed her a quick grin. "No? Everybody says I'm the one to be afraid of."

"I'm not saying that you aren't capable of being scary or dangerous, but there's more to you than that," Jennifer said. And she blushed, which made her feel like an idiot.

He shifted a bit more and reached out. His fingers were very gentle as he tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.

Which didn't make her blush any less. "You're kind," she said quietly. "You care about people. More people should notice that."

"And you're stronger than you look," he said. "I thought you were weak. You're not."

"You don't think so?" She still thought she was, a lot of the time.

He shook his head. "Not anymore."

"Why not?"

"You told me to stop trying to break my body with the door," he said. "You helped with the oxygen tanks. It didn't work, but we tried it."

"And we didn't even get blown up," she added.

"Which I think we can call a win."

"Me too," Jennifer said, smiling.

He grinned. That bit of hair had fallen loose again. He pushed it back. "Dr Keller.... Jennifer. I--"

The lights went out. That was never a good sign.

***

John lifted his head, panting. "Rodney? Did the lights go out, or am I unconscious?"

"Uh... not unconscious," Rodney said. "Crap. That's never a good sign."

"Where the hell did I put my clothes?" John crawled away from Rodney.

"I don't know," Rodney admitted. "They went that way," he made a gesture that couldn't be seen, because the lights were out, "and to be honest, I think I heard something rip."

"Crap. Rodney, what the hell is going on out there?" He came across a pair of pants. Judging by the length, they were his. And they were not exactly in one piece. Crap.

That was when the self-destruct started to sound.

***

John insisted that Rodney personally thank Sam, Lorne, Teyla, Radek, and Chuck for their good work in saving their asses.

Rodney usually needed a push in the right direction with those things.

***

With Colonel Carter still in the infirmary after being stuck in an underground cavern with Rodney and Dr Keller, John sort of had to suck up his continuing role of taking on her duties.

Of course, right now "taking on her duties" meant he was sitting at her desk playing minesweeper.

"If you screw up my win percentage, we're going to have to have an abrupt conversation, Sheppard."

He looked guilty. Then he looked confused. Then he looked some combination of guilty-confused. "You're supposed to still be in the infirmary with Rodney and Keller," he said.

"Privileges of being the boss. And a wolf." She actually looked a bit sheepish before she continued, "And sneaking out when the on-duty doctor wasn't paying attention. He's not nearly so vigilant about these things as Dr Keller is."

"Why Colonel Carter," John said, "sneaking out despite doctor's orders? Should I write you up for that one?"

"You could try, but the file on you doing it is the second thickest in Atlantis," she said, coming inside and closing the door, then going to sit, quite comfortably (despite her injuries) in the chair across from him. "Ronon's first, obviously."

"You noticed," John said.

"Hard not to," she said. "And I reviewed all the files on every member of the Atlantis expedition when I got this job."

"I would expect nothing less," John said with a little nod of his head.

She nodded, and went quiet for a few moments. "You know... he saved all of our lives down there," Sam said. "The McKay I knew, back when I first knew him, would have just curled up in a corner and hyperventilated to death, before anything else could kill us."

John smiled a little. "He hasn't been that McKay for a long time."

"I know that now. I think I actually knew that before, but I didn't recognise it. That time when we recruited Jeannie," she said. "I kept seeing him as that guy who'd always had an inappropriate crush on me... and I missed the part where he hasn't been that McKay for a long time either." She looked at John and smiled. "He doesn't want me any more... probably hasn't for a long time. All he could think about--well, besides the number of horrible ways we could die--was getting us all out safely, and getting back to Atlantis--and you."

John sat back. He looked down for a moment, then across at Sam again. "Back to me, huh?" So help him, he actually looked bashful. "He's changed a lot in the past four years. I can't take much credit for it since it took me a year to make my move, but... he's changed."

"I can see that," Sam said. "Believe me. And I'm sorry if I was still seeing him as the guy I knew from before--a guy that to be honest, I didn't really know well enough to be judging as much as I did."

"He's easy to judge," John admitted. "He makes me absolutely insane sometimes."

"I can imagine," Sam said. Actually, she didn't have to imagine--she'd heard tell of the epic arguments. "Still. It works, doesn't it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it does." For a moment he was tempted to ask her how she managed to hold it together being separated from Colonel Mitchell, but it was too personal for him. A little too far on the touchy-feely scale. "We've somehow managed. When we were in Vancouver, his niece pestered me every night to marry him."

"So why haven't you?" Her eyebrow went up.

John proceeded to do his very best wolf-in-headlights impression.

Sam laughed, then grimaced. Clearly she wasn't quite healed enough for a belly laugh just yet. "Oh, John--the look on your face."

He blushed. "Uh..."

She laughed again, even though it caused a bit of a yelp of pain, eyes tearing up just a little. Of all the things that she expected when she came to Atlantis, it wasn't going to be that the military commander--and Alpha of the wolf pack--and Rodney McKay were a pair of smitten kittens.

He immediately looked concerned. "Colonel," he said, "you really should be in bed. I know you'll heal, but you'll heal even faster if you rest."

She waved him off, coughing a couple of times before she composed herself. "I'm fine--really, I'm fine. They haven't even noticed I'm gone."

There was a light knock on the door, then Chuck poked his head in. "Colonel Carter?" he said. "Dr Burke says you're supposed to be in bed."

Sam winced. "Or maybe they have," she said. "How did he know I was here?" she asked Chuck.

"He figured you'd want to check on how Colonel Sheppard's doing," Chuck replied with a little smile.

Maybe Dr Burke was better than Sam had originally thought. "Looks like I'm due back at the infirmary," she said, only a hint of stiffness showing when she stood up.

"I'll walk you there," John said. "I'm ready to turn in for the night anyway, and I should stop in and see Rodney or he'll just sulk at everyone."

"You're a hero for the kids, John Sheppard."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. We can make me a medal later." He shut off the lights in the office and held the door for Sam. "I was worried, you know. When you arrived."

"Because I'm a wolf, and I was taking charge?" she said.

"Because of the way Rodney felt about you."

Ah. "I was never a threat to you, John," she said. "You know that, right?"

"Well, I do now," he said.

It took long enough, but he realised that really? Sam Carter was okay. More than.

***

When Rodney was released from the infirmary, John lectured him for what felt like forever about the importance of not falling into mine shafts.

Really, forever. Three whole minutes before he pounced on him.

***

Lorne rested his hand on Teyla's belly. "Quite the kick," he said a moment later, beaming proudly.

She smiled at him, then reached down to touch his cheek. "I like that look on your face," she murmured.

He peered up at her. "Which look?" he asked.

"That proud, fatherly look."

"I can't wait to meet him, Teyla. He helped you stand up to and influence a Wraith Queen. He's already remarkable."

"Of course he is," Teyla said, and there was pride in her expression. "He's ours."

Lorne slipped up the bed and brushed Teyla's hair back from her face. "Missed you today. It's getting harder to go out and leave you behind."

"It's hard being left behind," Teyla said. "I know. I know it was my choice, and it was the right choice, but it isn't easy."

He nodded. "And I was warned. I knew that I would start to find it difficult to leave your side. I hope you--I hope it doesn't offend you, but going off-world is starting to become a problem for me. I want to stay here with you and that need is going to start getting more powerful."

Teyla looked at him and gave him a strange little half-smile. "Is it supposed to offend me that you want to be around me?" she said, teasing just a little.

He huffed out a little sigh, smiling back at her. "I was afraid you would think I was being overly protective."

"You are. You're also a wolf, and it's to be expected." She paused for a moment. "And, as much as you want to, you know that you're not really going to do it," she said softly. "You have a responsibility to your team, and to your Alpha."

"Well, that's the thing," Lorne said, slowly. "Colonel Sheppard wants to have a meeting with me in the morning. He's either going to tell me to get my head in the game, or bench me until after the baby is born." He paused, then added, "I could end up doing all of his paperwork for the next few months."

It was serious, really, and yet... "Don't you already do all of his paperwork?"

"Not... all of it," he said.

Teyla's eyebrow went up, just a bit.

"Really."

"Hmm," Teyla murmured. "All right. But really... what do you think you're going to do?" she asked. "Do you really think that you're going to feel less possessive, less protective, once the baby's been born? You'll have a child then, Evan."

"Well--no--but. That'll be different. I think."

She touched his cheek. "Think about it," she said. "Make the decision that's right for you. But remember--I can take care of myself. You know that." She smiled. "Trust me to take care of our baby, when you can't be here."

"I do trust you." He took her hand and kissed her palm. "I always will."

She smiled and leaned down for a kiss. "Good boy," she whispered.

He growled playfully. "Now," he said, "if you'll excuse me, I can't resist the change any longer and I really like these pants."

Teyla laughed. "I'll come watch the first part," she teased.

***

John benched Lorne the following morning, for the duration of Teyla's pregnancy. He wanted Lorne to spend more time working with Colonel Carter, too, learning more of the ins and outs of the day-to-day of Atlantis.

Lorne, ultimately, didn't mind. He got to stay home with Teyla, and that was what mattered most to him. The closer Teyla got to her due date, the more he wanted to nest.

He became obsessive about the cleanliness of their quarters.

Rodney wondered aloud, once, when he would get to the point that finding a single speck of dust would send him into some sort literal of frothing rage.

John kicked him under the table.

***

Teyla was gone.

The universe got its 'I told you so' rights.

Especially for the toll this took on John's second. He'd never, no matter how much longer he lived, forget the moment when the gate activated, and Lorne was literally dragged through, kicking and screaming, by his team. When the gate closed, Lorne changed into a wolf. The combined efforts of Lorne's team, John, and Sam hadn't been able to stop him.

Thank God Ronon was a good shot; he'd showed up and stunned Lorne.

***

John sat down heavily. "Keller sedated Lorne," he said, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Well what do you know... the Genii were good for something," Rodney said bitterly. He was exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept. He closed his eyes for a few moments, then forced them open. He couldn't take time to sleep right now. "You didn't have a choice. There's nothing he can do to help right now, and you don't need the collateral damage he could cause."

"You want me to stay with him for a while?" Ronon asked. "Give you a chance to get some rest."

"No," John said. He forced himself back to his feet, shaking his head as if to clear cobwebs. "No, I'll get back to command, keep co-ordinating with search efforts."

"John," Rodney said, very softly. "Until..." he paused, cleared his throat. "Until we get her back, and Lorne's himself again, Ronon's your second. Let him help, so that you can lead when we need you. The trail's cold for the moment. The second it isn't, we're going to need you at the top of your game. Please." Rodney didn't say please very often. Not even to John.

John looked between them, very prepared to be stubborn. "Let me at least check in with Colonel Carter," he said.

Ronon stood, looming over him. "You need to sleep," he said.

John frowned up at him.

Ronon stared.

John frowned.

Ronon didn't even blink.

John sighed.

"Thanks, Ronon," Rodney said, groaning as he forced himself up. "I'll take it from here," he said, taking John's arm. "C'mon."

John muttered and grumbled the entire way to their quarters. But he let Rodney get him there, and get him out of his boots, and get him down onto the bed. "Rodney?"

"I'm not changing my mind, John--you need to sleep," Rodney said, turned away from John, his voice suspiciously tight.

"Rodney."

He went quiet for a few moments. "John?"

"I'm going to rip Michael limb from limb for hurting my family."

Rodney turned around to look at John, and when he did, his eyes were hard. Dangerous. "Do it slowly."

"You've got it." John held out a hand to Rodney. "We'll find her and bring her home."

He took two steps over to John, bypassing his hand entirely and wrapping him up in a tight hug, hard enough to hurt anyone but a werewolf. "Both of them," he whispered.

"Both of them," John echoed, hugging Rodney back, though not as hard as Rodney hugged him. "I promise."

Rodney didn't say anything. He couldn't. He just held on tighter, and nodded. He believed him.

He had to.

***

He was Carson.

He smelled like Carson. Looked like Carson. Sounded like Carson. Had his memories.

But he wasn't their Carson.

That was particularly evident when he admitted that he hadn't been able to turn on Michael, allowing Michael to get away with Teyla.

Again.

John had, by this time, had quite enough of that. He was done with it. He wasn't losing any more of his people. He hated what it did to him, he hated what it did to his team and his pack.

He hated what it did to Rodney. Not that Rodney was inconsolable. He didn't do things that way. Sometimes, John thought but would never say out loud, it might be easier if Rodney was a human female who would just cry. He could deal with tears. But Rodney just went about his business as much as possible, even when John knew that he was in pain. And John didn't know what to do about it. He changed, let the wolf curl up with his mate, licked his face, kept him warm. Kept him company.

And they waited. Every minute felt like a year.

***

John peered down into the observation room. "Doc, I'm not sure you're going to want to stick around once you let me in there."

"I'll be up here--I'll be fine." Keller looked a little nervous. "Someone's got to keep watch over you. Bad enough that the whole pack is picking up on your energy," she said. Ronon would have his work cut out for him keeping that under control.

"Are you sure?" John asked, wanting to give her the out.

She looked at him, expression steady. She wasn't the frightened little girl who Elizabeth promoted to Chief Medical Officer any more. "Go," she said softly. "Take care of him."

John nodded. "Okay," he said. Another nod. Then he gave her shoulder a little squeeze and and headed down to the room. He shed his clothes in the hall. "Doc? I'm ready." He changed into a wolf just as the door opened. It slid shut behind him when he entered the room.

The fight was ugly, brutal, and blissfully short. The effects of the sedative wore off quickly, and John certainly had his work cut out for him, but it didn't take long for him to have Lorne on the floor, flashing belly. John backed off, one step at a time, teeth still bared until he was certain that Lorne wasn't going to keep fighting.

He changed back and waited.

Lorne's change took longer. He'd stayed wolf the entire time he'd been sedated, and he was exhausted, thinner and paler than John'd ever seen him. When his change was finished, he didn't get up from the floor, but stayed right where he was.

John sat down on one of the chairs. He was still naked, but wolves really didn't have much use for being prudish about nudity. "We good?" he asked.

Lorne nodded. "Yes, sir," he said, voice hoarse.

"Good. Get up and talk to me."

John was the Alpha. Exhausted and hurt or not, heartbroken or not, Lorne had only two choices--listen to him, or fight him again. Lorne got up.

"I need you back. This has gone on long enough." John put his elbows on his knees and leaned forward, staring hard at Lorne. "They need you. What good have you been for Teyla and your son?"

His lip curled and he glared at John, just for a moment, but he couldn't hold the expression. "I know," he said, voice still rough. "I know."

"Yeah? Do you?" John's eyes narrowed. "It's awfully hard to get you on board with things when you've been a wolf the entire time she's been missing--" he started counting off points on his fingers, "refused to change back into a human, bitten four nurses, tore up three beds in the infirmary, and injured six marines. I have to write you up for all of that. You know how much I hate paperwork." A hundred and nine, and his penmanship was still atrocious.

Of course, it would be the paperwork that John complained about. That part almost got a smile out of Lorne. Almost. "So much for my spotless record," he said, forcing himself a bit more upright. But John was right, and Lorne knew it. Time to stop feeling sorry for himself, get up off the mat, and go find his mate and his child. Still, there was one thing he needed to take care of. "I need you to make me a promise."

John nodded. "If it's in my power to make it, Evan, you know I will. What do you need?" he asked. He'd told Lorne what he needed; Lorne had every right to make a demand, too.

He looked at his hands for a long few moments. "If something happens," he said, keeping his voice carefully even, his fear and his anger, his temper under control. "If we don't... if it goes bad. If we lose them... " He had to stop, needed a deep breath before he could keep going, just praying John didn't interrupt him before he got it out. "If that happens, you put me down, Sheppard. Don't hesitate. Don't assume that you'll be able to get me back. You won't." He looked up at Sheppard, letting him see how serious he was. "If they die, you kill me. Don't let what would happen next happen."

'Berserk' would be a mild word to describe what would happen. John had been around long enough to see a wolf lose a family. Killing Lorne would be a mercy, because he'd never be in control of the wolf again.

John got to his feet. "You have my word, Major," he said, solemnly.

Lorne nodded once, then stood up, offering John his hand. "Then you've got me back. Sir."

***

It was always John and Rodney, in the end.

Even if Rodney was an old man, even if Rodney was a hologram, they always found each other, even tens of thousands of years in the future.

They never found Teyla. Lorne went mad. Ronon had to put him down.

Despite being Alpha, Ronon left Atlantis to put together a strike force. A lot of people volunteered to be turned into wolves. He managed to turn rather a lot of them; surprisingly--or perhaps not--the vast majority of Genii volunteers survived the change.

Ronon died, alongside Todd-the-Wraith, blowing up one of Michael's facilities.

Rodney and Sam rushed to complete work on a new ship, The Phoenix. Sam died in battle against three of Michael's hive ships. She saved most of her crew--and took out all three ships. Rodney personally went to give condolences to Colonel Cameron Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran. Mitchell was never quite the same; it was hard enough for him having Sam in another galaxy, but losing her completely was hard. Almost devastating. He still had Vala--but, really, she was never the same, either.

"Wait," John said. "Wait. You went personally?"

Rodney--the hologram of Rodney--nodded. "I wasn't able to stay in Atlantis. The only family I had left was on Earth. My pack was gone."

John didn't know what to say. After a pause, Rodney resumed his story.

Keller returned to Earth with Rodney, unable to watch the Pegasus galaxy suffer and die.

Rodney started working in a research firm. He and Keller stayed in touch. They got together for coffee--Keller kept tabs on Rodney to make sure he didn't just shut off from the world over having lost John. Probably, Rodney suspected, at General O'Neill's insistence. Wolves. Sometimes they were too perceptive for everyone's good. One afternoon while Keller was checking up on Rodney, he started talking--in the middle of a Starbucks--about the possibility of changing history. Of getting John back. She gave him "you are crazy" face.

Then started coughing blood. She was dying. The Hoffan drug.

She was the only person left from Atlantis. Or, at least, the only person in his life. Rodney decided he'd had more than enough.

He couldn't save Keller. He couldn't save Ronon. He couldn't save Sam. He couldn't save Lorne. He couldn't save Teyla and the baby.

But he was going to save John.

Because if Rodney could save John, John could save everyone.

John may have thought he was the big, bad wolf, but Rodney knew better.

John Sheppard was the Alpha of the Atlantis pack. He was special. And Rodney loved him. Rodney was going to save him, if it was the last thing he did. Atlantis may have been gone, but Rodney did still have a friend at the SGC: General O'Neill.

(Damn wolves. They never aged.)

And now here they were. Rodney was just a hologram. They couldn't touch each other. Just as John was about to step into the stasis chamber, Rodney looked at him. Rodney, with his grey hair and his deeply lined face--too many worries--and his old-man cardigan. He stopped, and he looked at John, and he said, softly, "You always were beautiful." And then he looked bashful, and stepped back.

John would always go home to Rodney. He just had to sleep a while first.

The (big, bad) wolf was going to save them all.

***

"You don't remember rescuing her because you didn't. Just like you never rescued me."

Ronon wouldn't leave John's side. Damn stubborn pup. Ronon should go and save himself. John couldn't exactly heal from these injuries on his own. Sometime in the past century, somebody should have warned him that having a building explode and drop on his head and a metal spike impale his side wasn't something that even an Alpha could bounce back from.

***

Lorne was able to change in the infirmary to speed along his healing; John would need more time.

They didn't have time.

Despite getting warned, despite being yelled at, he refused to stay behind when the opportunity arose to sneak onto Michael's cruiser to rescue Teyla.

***
Of course Michael had built a cage that could hold a werewolf--or at least, could hold a werewolf for a while. There was very little that was guaranteed when it came to keeping a werewolf locked up permanently. But for now, everything was holding together, not that it stopped Lorne from trying. Not that it kept him from throwing his body against the bars, from trying to tear them apart.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that whatever Carson had known about werewolves, Michael knew too. And Carson knew a lot. Lorne knew that.

He still didn't stop trying to escape.

"Major Lorne." Michael appeared from around the corner. He regarded the enraged wolf for a moment. "You will not break free. Trying to hunt for Teyla as a wolf was a mistake. We were prepared for you, as you can see. Now, change back into a human. I would have a civilised conversation with you."

Fury flared up in Lorne's eyes, and he charged at Michael, slamming himself into the bars of the cage as he tried to go straight through it to get to him.

Michael regarded him calmly. "I have Teyla and your child. Do you wish to see them again?" he asked, as if this was all terribly reasonable.

Lorne stood up, slowly and painfully, curling his lip at Michael. As far as Lorne was concerned, Michael was already dead... just temporarily breathing.

"I am not afraid of you. I have methods of dealing with you wolves. Dr Beckett was very helpful to me."

No... he wouldn't be afraid, would he? Not with Lorne trapped behind metal bars as thick as Ronon's arms. He stared back at him, then turned his back on Michael entirely, dismissing him as he changed forms. Risky, yes. But Michael didn't trap him in a cage just to kill him.

"There. Was that so hard?" Michael had perfected 'condescending'. "I can keep you alive. Your child will be remarkable. Having you here gives me reason to keep Teyla alive."

The condescending tone grated like claws on a chalkboard, but it was Michael daring to say Teyla's name, to speak about their child, that had him ready to throw himself at he cage again. "You're dead. You do know that, don't you? You're walking, you're standing, but you are dead."

"I'll bear that in mind," said Michael. "Do keep calm, Major. If you want to see Teyla alive again, you'll want to behave yourself." He took one very deliberate step forward. "It's almost time. You should be able to smell that."

He didn't have to be a wolf in order to growl low at Michael, pushing down the rising panic he could feel within himself. Because Michael was right--he could.

Almost time.

"I can keep you alive, Major," Michael said. "Let you remain with Teyla. You may even have the opportunity to see your son and other children from time to time. You'll be very valuable to me. But I expect your co-operation. Think on it a while." He turned to leave, then half-turned back to Lorne so that he could see his profile. "I understand that your excellent hearing should allow you to hear your son's cries when he is born. Try not to cause yourself too much harm when that happens."

Lorne's howl, even torn as it was from a human throat, followed Michael out of the room.

The tears on his cheeks were just for him.

***

The growls turned to snarls--turned to screams of pain from Michael's hybrids. Then Ronon rounded the corner, naked, but armed. "Lorne," he said, by way of greeting. He shot out the controls to the cage.

Lorne didn't pause for a second, shoving the door open the second Ronon fired at the cage and breaking off in a dead run.

"Go!" Ronon shouted, though there really was no need. He changed back into a wolf, picked up his gun in his teeth, and took off behind Lorne.

They could hear Teyla; then, after, another cry. A new voice. A new scent. The baby.

Lorne shifted back into human form as soon as he reached Teyla's side.

"Now? You show up now?" Rodney exclaimed, over the sound of the screaming baby he was trying to wrap up. "Impeccable timing, Major Lorne--really," he said, with a look of relief on his face, and a grin the size of the Milky Way.

"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner," Lorne said. He reached for the baby, took him from Rodney, and then gave him to Teyla. He shifted closer, his arms going around both of them.

"You're here," Teyla said, holding her son, unashamed of the tears on her face. "You came. That's all that matters."

Rodney was muttering to himself the whole time, but it didn't matter. It was all nerves and adrenaline and disbelief tumbling over each other. They found Teyla. The baby was safe. The baby was born.

***

Despite the win, there were two things on John's list of things that were not good. The first and foremost of which was the fact that the Jumper had been stolen.

The other was Carter's reassignment.

All right, a third: Woolsey. John had never met a more ordinary ordinary human.


| Chapter 8 |